“I think I’m maturing. I knew the stoppage was going to come. It is how I wanted to place it,” said Gabriela Fundora after handing Marilyn Badillo Amaya her first professional loss on the 19th at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside. And she didn’t just walk away with a seventh-round TKO—she made a statement, successfully defending her undisputed flyweight titles for the very first time. So how did it go down? Let’s just say it wasn’t even close.

Gabriela Fundora (16-0, 8 KOs) didn’t just win—she controlled every second of the fight. After six punishing rounds of nonstop pressure, she landed a clean straight left in the seventh that sent Badillo (19-1-1, 3 KOs) crashing to the canvas. With a six-inch height advantage at 5-foot-9, she used her reach to perfection—landing 118 punches to Badillo’s 21. Oof! That was it. Referee Rudy Barragan had seen enough and waved it off at 1:44 of round seven. And did we mention Badillo had a visible welt on her forehead by the end? So what’s behind a performance like that? Let’s break it down.

What’s Gabriela Fundora’s recipe for destruction?

Yesterday, Sean Zittel shared a mini clip of Gabriela Fundora’s post-fight interview on X, with a caption that read, “Undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora talks after an impressive 7th round TKO.” So, how did Gabriella Fundora manage to turn it up in those last two rounds when most fighters might’ve just coasted to a decision? That’s exactly what the reporter wanted to know.

And Sweet Poison? She kept it real. She said her dad—who’s also her coach—basically gave her the green light in the seventh round, telling her, “Okay, let’s go.” No more waiting around. “Can’t take people’s time,” she said with a grin. “People got things to do, I got things to do.” So instead of playing it safe, she pressed the gas and closed the show like a true headliner.

After after the remarkable feat, the reporter asked her, “For young fighters watching, how do you execute the right way without you know going too reckless in there?” Gabriela Fundora had a simple answer: “Be smart,” she said. “You gotta train, you gotta prepare,” she added. But other than that, she revealed one more secret ingredient for her victory. “At the end it was who had a better camp. Of course, I did!”

You see, that’s the kind of mindset that separates a good fighter from a great one.

As the interview continued, the reporter further pressed, “You took on someone who was already know you made it like pretty basic from my point of view…What do you rate yourself?”  Her answer was straight-up bold: “It’s the golden girl era now.” This was her first main event since turning pro in 2021, and she knew she had to make a statement.

According to Gabriela Fundora, she didn’t just show up—“I had to show close it off at the bank.” So, is Gabriella Fundora the next big thing in women’s boxing? If she keeps this energy, it’s hard to argue otherwise. And that leaves us all wondering: where does the 23-year-old go from here? Looks like she already had something on her sleeves.

Gabriela Fundora is hunting for knockouts

Having dominated the Flyweight division for 4 long years, the main question is, whether Gabriella Fundora will choose to either move up or down a weight classs? Obviously, the reporter in the same interview got curious about it and fired, “You mentioned moving up in the weight class. Who do you have in mind as far as facing forward?” And the Palm Beach native immediately cleared the confussion. “Moving up? I din’t mention that. I said I’m moving down.”

But the bottomline is, she’s keeping her options open. Her goal? Crystal clear. “Whoever has the belts at the time,”  she replied. Simple as that. Whether it’s 112, 108, or anywhere in between, Gabriella Fundora’s not chasing names—she’s chasing championships.

But if you’re wondering who exactly might be in the cards at 108? Well, even Gabriela Fundora doesn’t know just yet. “We got to talk back with Golden Boy my team and see what we have,” she stated. Which means, she’s not here to cherry-pick her opponents anymore. Every choice she makes from now on will be driven by precision and intent.

Now here’s something that really stood out. In the end segment of the interview the reporter asked, “Gabriella, being 112 lb female fighter is an uphill climb to try to cross over [and] become a star. Is that part of why you fight in that fashion? You want to deliver statements each time out?” To which Gabriela Fundora answered, “The crowd goes crazy,”  flashing that fighter’s confidence. “People like home runs. People like touchdowns,” she continued. “Boxing people like knockouts, and that’s what we gave them.”

And honestly—she’s not wrong. In a sport that often plays it safe, Gabriela Fundora’s approach is all about putting on a show. So the real question is…are you ready to watch what she does next? Should she move up or down in weight next—or keep dominating the flyweight division? Could this be the beginning of a new superstar era in women’s boxing? Do share your thoughts with us below.